“If we’re performing or not performing, it’s not going to matter, because we’re not going to measure it.” -- CIFOR on #REDD+ #safeguards
#REDD+ safeguards are limited to information on how they're implemented, no requirement to measure before-and-after impacts #COP17
Forest Day 5 to start soon. SA's agri n forestry minister, FAO assistant dir.gen, African wildlife foundation president to speak #FD5
Lots of interesting "days" today - Development and Climate Day, Forests Day, Mountain Day, Ocean Day. Take your pick!
Findings from the most comprehensive assessment to date on climate change, snow and glacier melt in Asia’s mountainous Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region—site of Mount Everest and many of the world’s tallest peaks—highlight the region’s extreme vulnerability to climate change, as rising temperatures disturb the balance of snow, ice and water, threatening millions of mountain people and 1.3 billion people living downstream in Asia’s major river basins.
Over 500 farmers representatives, scientists and development practitioners were out in force today at the third Agriculture and Rural Development Day (ARDD) in Durban. They are determined to put agriculture on the COP 17 agenda.
Their arguments are clear: Any serious effort to reduce green house gasses must include agriculture. And COP 17 is the chance for Africa to shape the agenda and establish an agriculture work program that is informed by science and covers adaptation and mitigation. And even for some `No agriculture, No deal'.
And today these voices are being heard.
Three years ago there was very little discussion around agriculture and climate change…this year agriculture events are everywhere around the COP.
Climate-smart agriculture – that’s agriculture that combines proven conservation agriculture techniques with the latest technologies like drought and flood tolerant crops, better weather forecasting and risk insurance for farmers – is gaining momentum.
People are paying attention because climate-smart agriculture delivers a triple win – increased productivity, increased adaptation and mitigation benefits.
Agriculture is being reimagined.
Africa stands to benefit most from climate-smart agriculture because of the vulnerability of rural people to climate change and the dependence of so much of the population on agriculture. And for Africa, adaptation is key.
ARDD was an inspiring showcase of climate-smart agriculture in action demonstrating just how much we know already. The emphasis across the learning events was on building resilience of smallholders touching on everything from strengthening access to markets, access to carbon finance to innovative water harvesting techniques.
In some cases, new technologies and new knowledge are not reaching the people who need it the most. We need to make sure that the latest technologies get off researchers’ shelves and into the hands of smallholder farmers.
But there is also recognition that we need to learn more. For example, more about how best to capture and store carbon through different farming techniques, and more about soil carbon capture; how to achieve sustainable intensification or how to produce more with more efficient use of inputs; how to ensure that policies support an integrated approach to planning for food security, poverty reduction and climate change.
There is always more that needs to be done, and more to learn–but the knowledge, enthusiasm and track record of the farmers and experts–indicate they have no intention of giving up before they win their fight.
For the sake of the billion people who suffer hunger every day – let’s hope global leaders hear these voices. We can’t afford to fail.
Welcome to the start of the second week of the UN climate talks in Durban! Hope you'll join us for the latest on what's happening.....
There was a great session at IIED's Development and Climate Days Sunday where Debra Roberts, who deals with climate issues for Ethekewini (Durban) Municipality, called Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, a "regressive reptile" for having left Durban to pick up the carbon footprint of the World Cup. Dealing with climate change is a game of snakes and ladders, she said - some progress up and plenty of sliding down on mistakes.
A new wave of deforestation is sweeping across Africa, decimating wildlife and threatening the resilience of its ecosystems to withstand the effects of climate change—especially in the area of food security, experts said.
“Deforestation rates in Africa… are accelerating,” said Helen Gichohi, President of the African Wildlife Foundation, during a keynote speech at Forest Day 5 in Durban on the sidelines of COP17. “The disappearing forests, the overgrazed rangelands, and conversion to crop agriculture of grasslands and wetlands that had served as a refuge to drought, have all diminished the resilience of ecosystems.”
Debra Roberts, who manages climate response for the Ethekewini (Durban) Municipality, gave a great talk on how "to rig the dice in your favour in a game of climate snakes and ladders." One key message? "Anyone who tells you climate work can be structured … is lying to you. The best way is learning by doing. There are very many twists and turns in the road."
